The big Premier League kick-off is three weeks away - managers are still looking to add to their squads and are experimenting with new formations whilst trying out new tactics in friendlies across the globe.

The transfer window is in full swing and clubs at both ends of the table are splashing the cash.

Here, Sportsmail assesses each club's transfer business so far this summer and looks at where squads need to be strengthened ahead of the new campaign.

Countdown to kick-off: Chelsea look strong and are many people's favourites to win the title... at the moment

An out-an-out striker is essential if Arsenal are to make a serious push for the Barclays Premier League title.

The Gunners are also on the lookout for a defensive midfielder and have been linked with Sporting Lisbon’s William Carvalho and German duo Sami Khedira and Lars Bender. A back-up in central defence is also required.

Reasons to be cheerful

One name – Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean is a world-class talent and could well see the Gunners improve on last season’s fourth place.

Star signing: Alexis Sanchez, signed from Barcelona, should increase Arsenal's chances of landing the title

The former Barcelona frontman, signed for £30million, can add a whole new dimension to the Gunners attack and should thrive off Mesut Ozil’s eye for a pass.

It’s an understatement to suggest Arsenal fans were a little excited when the deal was announced.

Reasons to be fearful

Arsenal will have just two centre backs - Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny – should Thomas Vermaelen make his expected departure from the Emirates, leaving the Gunners just one injury away from a disaster at the back.

Gunners fans should also be worried if Olivier Giroud remains the club’s sole targetman when the season kicks off.

Big pre-season fixtures

Arsenal take on Benfica and Monaco in the annual Emirates Cup held at the club's stadium.

New boy: Arsenal have signed France international Mathieu Debuchy from Newcastle for a fee of £10million

Aston Villa’s sometimes depleted defence needs more protection and so a defensive midfielder to shield the back four would aid Paul Lambert’s side while a creative wideman to feed Christian Benteke and Gabriel Agbonlahor would surely see the Villa Park club score more goals.

Sean Dyche has signed Marvin Sordell and Lukas Jutkiewicz to bolster the Turf Moor striking ranks this summer but the squad still looks extremely light in midfield. An experienced centre-back would also help the club’s bid to beat the drop next term.

Reasons to be cheerful

Striker Danny Ings, who scored 21 Championship goals to help fire Burnley to the promised land of the Premier League last term, has stated he is not looking to leave Turf Moor this summer while manager Dyche is one of the brightest young managers in the game.

Staying put? Danny Ings scored 21 goals to help fire Burnley into the Premier League last season

Reasons to be fearful

Despite Ings' insistence that he will remain in Lancashire, a sizeable bid late on in the window could see Burnley decide to cash in on the striker with little time to replace him.

Meanwhile, the Clarets squad mainly consists of players with little or no top-flight experience.

Big pre-season fixtures

Burnley face local rivals Preston and Blackpool before taking on Celta Vigo at Turf Moor on August 5.

With
a number of versatile players who can play across the backline, another
body in defence would add depth to Chelsea already impressive squad.

Another
striker would also be needed should Fernando Torres or Romelu Lukaku
leave the club this summer; particularly if the duo, seemingly unfancied
by manager Jose Mourinho, both depart west London.

Reasons to be cheerful

Many
believe the current Chelsea squad is the best in the Premier League
following the arrivals of Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Filipe Luis
boasting arguably the strongest starting team in the division and are rightly many people's favourites for next season's title.

The possible return of club legend Didier Drogba should raise a few smiles at Stamford Bridge.

Comeback king? Chelsea fans would love to see former striker Didier Drogba back at Stamford Bridge

VIDEO Drogba weighs up Chelsea return

Reasons to be fearful

Chelsea have lost a huge amount of experience with Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole leaving this summer.

The former Blues stars made over 650 league appearances for Chelsea between them and so the club's current crop must step up to fill the void left by the duo.

Having to call on Torres should anything happen to Costa will worry large sections of the Chelsea support.

Big pre-season fixtures

Having
decided against a tour of the US - unlike many of the other top Premier
League sidesChelsea face Werder Bremen in Germany on August 3 in the
pick of the Blues friendlies this pre-season.

Pastures new: Chelsea legend Frank Lampard has joined New York City while Ashley Cole signed for Roma

Having let Jonathan Parr and Dean Moxey leave the club, Crystal Palace desperately need to sign a left back while another central defender wouldn’t go a miss either.

Reasons to be cheerful

Fraizer Campbell has joined from Cardiff to add some goals to the side while much of the squad who took the Eagles to 11th place last season have remained at Selhurst Park.

Patience: Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis has signed only two players so far this summer

Reasons to be fearful

The club have so far only signed two players – Campbell and former Blackpool goalkeeper Chris Kettings – with many players linked to the club this summer deciding to move elsewhere.

Gylfi Sigurdsson and Steven Caulker both turned down the opportunity to join Tony Pulis' side in favour of joining Swansea and QPR respectively and fans will worry that theme may continue throughout the summer.

Everton are in desperate need of strikers while a wideman who can create would benefit the squad. However, with a European campaign on the horizon, what the Toffees desire most is squad depth and manager Roberto Martinez has said he would like to work with a squad of 27 players this term.

Reasons to be cheerful

With the imminent arrival of Bosnia international Muhamed Besic, the Toffees have an abundance of talent in midfield while the defence looks strong and settled.

The days in which the blue half of Merseyside annually had to sell their star players in order to bring in more bodies appear to be over while a host of capable youngsters are ready to feature if required.

Quite the quandary: Everton manager Roberto Martinez must be savvy in the transfer market this summer

Reasons to be fearful

With far less money to spend than the clubs Everton are competing against at the top end of the table, manager Martinez has to be as tactical in the transfer window as he is on the pitch and may have to wait to land his main targets.

The pursuit of Romelu Lukaku, who helped the Toffees finish fifth in the League last season, could prove costly if the move doesn’t come off and other striking targets sign for different clubs in the meantime.

Big pre-season fixtures

The Toffees take on Portuguese giants Porto in Leon Osman’s testimonial on August 3.

Hot pursuit: Everton are desperate to land Romelu Lukaku after the striker impressed on loan at Goodison Park

The Tigers need more Premier League experience at the back this season and have already made attempts to sign Yorkshireman Michael Dawson from Tottenham.

Two or three more players would add depth to the squad as the club embark on their first-ever European adventure.

Tiger feet: Hull signed wideman Robert Snodgrass from Noriwch City in an £8million deal earlier this summer

Reasons to be cheerful

Manager
Steve Bruce has landed widemen Tom Ince and Robert Snodgrass - two
players more than happy to run at defenders and put teams on the
backfoot - to assist the strikeforce of Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long
put together last January.

Jake Livermore signed for the club permanently from Spurs following last season’s successful loan spell.

Reasons to be fearful

The dreaded curse of the Europa League.

It’s a problem with the modern game but the stats show extra games across Europe can put a strain on some of the smaller Premier League squads. It’s vital Bruce brings in a few more players in order to rotate his side and compete on all fronts.

Big pre-season fixtures

On August 10, Hull take on Stuttgart at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

Team effort: Tom Huddlestone congratulates Yannick Sagbo after the striker's friendly goal against York

The Premier League champions need a centre back and look close to signing Porto defender Eliaquim Mangala.

Meanwhile, with Alvaro Negredo set to be out of action for three months after having surgery on his broken metatarsal, Man City may decide to buy a striker during the transfer window.

Blow: Alvaro Negredo has been sidelined for three months meaning City may look to sign a striker

Reasons to be cheerful

Manuel
Pellegrini has increased competition for places among his title-winning
squad with the additions of goalkeeper Willy Caballero, defender Bacary
Sagna and Porto midfielder Fernando.

Signing Sagna on a free transfer from Arsenal proves City continue to have a great amount of pulling power over their rivals.

Competition: Willy Caballero will go head-to-head with Joe Hart for the No 1 shirt at Man City this season

Reasons to be fearful

Having adhered to the Premier League’s homegrown player rule, City must decide whether to keep hold of the likes of Jack Rodwell and Scott Sinclair - who have failed to shine at the Etihad - or move them on in the knowledge they will have to bring in alternative British players at inflated prices.

Pellegrini must also rotate his squad in order to keep his top players happy.

Luckily the Yaya Toure saga appears to have come to an end and the midfielder will be staying in the north west.

Big pre-season fixtures

Man City take on Premier League rivals Liverpool, as well as AC Milan and Olympiacos, in the Guinness International Champions Cup at the Yankee Stadium in New York on July 30.

He shoots, he scores! Manuel Pellegrini has added Fernando to the club's midfielder ranks from Porto

Old Trafford chief Ed Woodward insists the club have money to spend this summer and are capable of breaking the world record transfer fee.

Reasons to be fearful

Manchester United don’t often have trouble in convincing players to join but a lack of European football at Old Trafford next season may see the club lose out in some potential deals.

Van Gaal has said he will assess the current playing squad before sanctioning any more deals but supporters will be anxious the former Holland boss doesn’t miss out on potential targets in the meantime – as David Moyes did last summer.

Big pre-season fixtures

Out of competitive European competition this term, the Red Devils face European heavyweights Roma, Inter Milan and Real Madrid in the Guinness International Champions Cup over in America.

Work to do: New Man United manager Louis van Gaal admits the current squad is unbalanced

Following the arrival of Monaco frontman Emmanuel Riviere, Newcastle still need a potent striker to help improve the club’s goal tally next season. Another centre-back and a midfield enforcer would give the Magpies a balanced squad.

Reasons to be cheerful

Fans will be pleased with how active Alan Pardew has been during the window bringing in a number of exciting yet reasonably-priced additions. Daryl Janmaat and Remy Cabella are more than adequate replacements for the departed French duo of Mathieu Debuchy and Yohan Cabaye.

On the move: Newcastle signed Holland international Daryl Janmaat to replace Mathieu Debuchy in defence

Reasons to be fearful

As
always seems to be the case, Newcastle have a defence which leaks goals
while most of the club’s new boys have come from aboard and may take
time to settle.

Big pre-season fixtures

Along with West Ham, the Magpies will face Schalke and Malaga in the Schalke 04 Cup at the start of August in Gelsenkirchen.

The boot room: Remy Cabella poses for the camera after completing his switch to Newcastle

Harry Redknapp will be eager to add to his striking options as Charlie Austin and Bobby Zamora are the only frontmen at his disposal - the Loftus Road club have been offered former Barcelona and Chelsea striker Samuel Eto’o on a free transfer.

A new left wing-back and wideman would also improve the Hoops current squad.

Reasons to be cheerful

QPR have put together a solid centre-back duo this week with this signings of Rio Ferdinand and Steven Caulker as Redknapp looks to keep his side in the top-flight.

A substantial re-build job is on the cards at St Mary's this summer following the sale of a number of key players who performed so well as the Saints finished eighth last season, with plenty of positions in need of being filled.

Making plans: New manager Ronald Koeman and wideman Dusan Tadic chat on the training field

Reasons to be cheerful

With much of the club’s recent success based on Southampton’s excellent academy, the Saints have a number of graduates in the first-team including Calum Chambers, Sam Gallagher and James Ward-Prowse.

Meanwhile, new boss Ronald Koeman, who arrived at St Mary's from Dutch giants Feyenoord, is likely to attempt to sign a number of Eredivise stars.

The former Holland international has already signed winger Dusan Tadic from FC Twente and brought Italian striker Graziano Pelle with him from De Kuip.

Fall to the floor: New Southampton striker Graziano Pelle looks on during the Saints' friendly win over Swindon

Reasons to be fearful

Talented 19-year-old left-back Luke Shaw signed for Manchester United while Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert have joined Liverpool.

If that wasn't bad enough, Dejan Lovren has also been linked with a move to Anfield.

There are also worries Morgan Schneiderlin and Jay Rodriguez could be persuaded to jump ship and join former boss Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham.

Should more bids come in, Southampton must decide whether to try to hold on to their remaining star men or cash in early in order to spend on improving the rest of the side.

Big pre-season fixtures

The Saints will play Bayer Leverkusen at St Mary's a week before the Premier League season kicks off.

Going, going, gone: Luke Shaw has signed for Man United while Dejan Lovren may still leave Southampton

Relying
on Steven Fletcher and Connor Wickham, Sunderland should look to sign
another striker while a left-back is also needed having not had a
permanent player in that position for several seasons. Midfield could
also be improved.

A
new young centre-back is also a must as Wes Brown and John O’Shea, aged
34 and 33 respectively, only have a year remaining on their current
deals.

Having been already busy this transfer window, the Swans could still do with a few defenders for cover.

Reasons to be cheerful

Swansea manager Garry Monk has been quick to draft in six new faces full of quality. Ecuador international Jefferson Montero has arrived in South Wales while Gylfi Sigurdsson, who impressed at the Liberty Stadium on loan in 2012, has also returned to the club.

Lyon striker Bafetimbi Gomis and Lukasz
Fabianski, who can both boast European experience, arrived on free
transfers while club captain Ashley Williams has signed a new-long term
deal to ward off any potential suitors.

ReturnL: Gylfi Sigurdsson spent time on loan with Swansea in 2012 and made a permanent switch on Thursday

Reasons to be fearful

Star striker Wilfried Bony has many admirers and may well have left Swansea by the time the season begins while young left-back Ben Davies and goalkeeper Michel Vorm have already joined Tottenham.

Big pre-season fixtures

The Swans face the Yellow Submarines of Villarreal at home on August 9.

The club have been linked with Southampton’s Dejan Lovren with a new centre-back high on the their wishlist.

A few strikers are also needed to improve Tottenham’s chances of finishing in the top four – Emmanuel Adebayor and £26m striker Roberto Soldado were largely disappointing last term while Jermain Defoe made the move to MLS side Toronto.

Reasons to be cheerful

In need of a specialist left-back, Tottenham have signed impressive, young defender Ben Davies.

Spurs fans will also be glad to hear Southampton midfielder Morgan Schniederlin would prefer a move to White Hart Lane over a switch to north London rivals Arsenal in order to join up with his former Southampton boss, Mauricio Pochettino.

Done deal: Left-back Ben Davies has joined Tottenham out on their pre-season tour of America and Canada

Reasons to be fearful

The signing of Vorm as back-up to Hugo Lloris is good business but does suggest the club have taken steps should the France No 1 move on before the end of the transfer window - PSG remain keen on the stopper despite Lloris signing a new five-year deal with the club.

Meanwhile, having spent over £100m last summer following the £86m sale of Gareth Bale, Tottenham fans will be wary of the hierarchy splashing the cash once more following last season’s disappointing campaign.

West Brom could do with some more options in attack while a creative player would certainly add something different to an already industrious midfield.

Reasons to be cheerful

The Baggies pulled off a real coup with the signing of Joleon Lescott on a free transfer from Manchester City while spending £10million on Dynamo Kiev striker Brown Ideye shows the club are intent on keeping up with the Premier League’s chasing pack.

A new deal for goalkeeper Ben Foster has also provided a boost.

Eyes on the prize: West Brom pulled off a real coup with the signing of Joleon Lescott from Man City

Reasons to be fearful

Alan Irvine’s appointment raised a few eyebrows as the Scot’s managerial record isn’t exactly glowing following disappointing stints at Preston North End and Sheffield Wednesday in the Football League.

However, acting as David Moyes’ assistant, the 56-year-old played his part in Everton’s incredible fourth-placed finish nearly a decade ago and is a hugely respected coach.

Big pre-season fixtures

The Baggies host Porto in the club’s final pre-season game.

Shock: Eyebrows were raised when West Brom announced former Everton coach Alan Irvine as manager

Following the news of Andy Carroll’s latest lay-off, Sam Allardyce is keen to bring in a striker or two.

West Ham should also look to sign a quality right-back while another winger would also come in handy to alternate with Matt Jarvis and Stewart Downing.

Setback: West Ham's Andy Carroll is set to be sidelined for four months after tearing ligaments in his ankle

Reasons to be cheerful

Highly-rated left-back Aaron Cresswell and Ecuador striker Enner Valencia have both signed for the Upton Park club while Diego Poyet, who looks to have a bright future and is the son of Sunderland boss Gus, has arrived on a free from Charlton.

The Hammers have also brought in defensive midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate from Anderlecht, who had interested a number of clubs over the past few windows, and former Birmingham frontman Mauro Zarate.

Reasons to be fearful

Andy Carroll’s injury woes. The striker is set to miss four months of the new campaign with an ankle injury, having missed the majority of last season having joined the club in a £15.5million deal in June 2013 from Liverpool.

Big pre-season fixtures

Along with Newcastle, West Ham are taking part in the Schalke 04 Cup and will face Malaga and Schalke in Gelsenkirchen.

Highly-rated: Left-back Aaron Cresswell has arrived at Upton Park from Championship side Ipswich